


Tales Of An Amethyst Dreamer

by KidWestHope16



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Casual commentary of death, Character Death, Child Abuse, Child Experimentation, Cloud Skull, Death is over rated, Different terminology of Flames in different regions, Former Sky Skull, Past Character Death, Skull De Mort - Freeform, Skull is a Drifter, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-15 00:29:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13019439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KidWestHope16/pseuds/KidWestHope16
Summary: Skull has always gone by the name Skull De Mort, except for that time he used to be called Experiment 619. And the time before that when he was only called dear one.





	1. I Have A Heart That Gets On Everybody's Nerves

**Author's Note:**

> So I really adore the Immortal Stuntman Skull. And I've been reading fics about him before realizing there are not enough and I decided, meh, why not add some more? So I did.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So he was immortal. How could he use that to his advantage to get by in life?  
> Running away to the circus does not solve all your problems. It alleviates some and creates new ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A series of drabbles with my favorite character in KHR.

Skull was always known as Skull De Mort! He was the Immortal Skull. The Stuntman who was hated by the grim reaper.

But he wasn't always Skull, and he wasn't always Immortal. When he was younger he was called Experiment 619, and he was the youngest in his peer group. In the end he was the only one left alive. Not that that was important, he shouldn't worry about such trivial things like death. He wasn't close to anyone and no one was close to him! What did it matter if they died? He was hated by death itself.

  


Death couldn't hold him!  


Staying in the realm of death was simply not a possiblity for him, so how do you use something like that to get but in the world so alien and foreign to an experiment like him.

Begging hadn't really turned out well for him. They sneered at him and his abnormal coloring, (what was wrong with purple? Personally he thought he looked awesome!) or acted as if he had some unnameable disease. Often times those that treated him that way had looks of pity in their eyes and he grew to despise them.  
Stealing had worked our marginally better until he found out he was in some gang territory. He wouldn't bow to no man or woman be they older or younger, which limited his option to run or die.  
  
Tragically he ended up dying due to being severely malnourished as he ran for his life and ended up caught shortly.  
Being beaten to death was a dull way to go.  
  


And so he spent the next few years of his life being chased out of every territory he came across as he tried to make a living for himself. He died many more times after the initial beat down from his first days in the streets. He picked up many tricks, and learned from his every mistake. He never went hungry after that first time.  
By the time he was possible a preteen, (how old was he?) he had traversed across nearly the entirety of Europe. It was quite the accomplishment for a no name like himself.  
Then his luck ran out when he stole from the wrong man. Let it be known that he learned his lesson to never steal from a man who owns lions, elephants and a mother of circus children. (Mama Svetlana still scares him to this day. She was as fierce as she was fragile looking.) No one told Mama Svetlana no and got away with it, which is how he enede up joining the circus. No matter what those other street kids said he did not run away to the circus.  
  
The circus ran away with him.  
And let it be noted that he did not go willingly.  
He just failed at escaping.  
How an escape artist like himself failed to escape from a 4'9 woman was a complete mystery.  
  
  
But they grew on him, as he grew on them in return. Though that was something he had not been expecting. He was so used to being alone that suddenly waking each morning to a bowl of food was quite strange. Being greeted cheerfully was even stranger, and he was growing to like it. This easy camaraderie that everyone shared.  
Being taught skills of the trade, and education for a future was a novelty for him, seeing that he'd had no formal education in that place. Meanwhile his life in the streets hadn't taught him much aside from reading body language and evasive maneuvering to remain out of sight at all times. And when his namelessness became a problem they didn't react as the others had.  
Disdain.  
Pity.  
Wonder.  
Fear.  
Greed.  
Those that expressed greed frightened him more than the ones who pitied him.  
They simply smiled and gave him a name. Not that he liked the ones that they chose, but at least they tried to give him something he never even had. Most he didn't mind using but others, others he recognized, and those names had him running from the past that was never far behind him.

  
"Young one why do you run?" Mama Svetlana asks him each time he runs. "Because I am a coward." He replies each time. Because it is the truth, all he can hear is screams of anguish blaming him. Haunting him for being to afraid to die and living where others had not.

"Kid, you've been trained by everyone here. Now it's time for you to pick what your career is going to be from here on out." It wasn't much of a choice. He'd seen what Misha did as their Stuntman. The Undying Devil was well known for his death defying stunts and walking away from his failed stunts. He was immortal, and he had learned all of Misha's tricks. In fact he could improve a few of them. After all, Misha was just durable but Experiment 619 could not die.  
  
  
"I know, I know! You'll be sad to see me go, but I'll leave you with my protege. You think of me as Undying and a Devil. But my apprentice is and immortal skeleton! Let me introduce you to, the Immortal Skull!!!!!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tell me what you think of Skull's origins.


	2. And I Can Sing Until I'm Dead, And None Of You'll Remember A Single Thing I Said

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull didn't like these men and women that were supposedly the strongest in the world. He didn't like the connotations involved with working with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These drabbles are going to be out of order. From before Skull joined the Arcobaleno to during and after.

Skeleton, or as he was affectionately called bullheaded Skull, did not trust these people. He didn't even trust Mama Svetlana or Misha.  
Well maybe a little, he did stay with them for close to three years.  
Their troupe was the only one he'd stayed with for so long. And they didn't seem to mind, even smiled in understanding. The many troupes he lived with all understood him somehow. He highly suspects that Mama Svetlana and Mikhail gossipped about him with all the troupes they passed so he'd be welcomed without being bothered. Misha understood his wanderlust better than anyone which eased some of the anger he felt for being the topic of gossip behind his back.  
  
But these others, they rubbed him the wrong way. His instincts screamed at him that they were dangerous, that he needed to watch his back. The looks of dismissal when he entered the room had him bristling in anger that he quickly pushed down. He had to stay calm, anger was weakness that was easily exploitable.  
He would never be exploited again.  
The purple fire had kept him safe long enough for him to escape before and would do so again.  
Which was why he trusted them about as far as he could throw them, which was pretty far if he did say so himself. He was the bouncer for his troupe, would that make him a qualified body guard?

"Ah, looks like everyone is here." Skull tensed at the sweet voice feeling dread in the pit of his stomach. This woman's voice sounded just like her, that girl, experiment 618. "I've brought cookies." The woman continued as she stood beside him holding out a plate. Which he quickly pilfered and guarded not caring if it was poisoned, he was pretty much immune anyways. Sure he never starved to death again but the pangs of hunger were so fierce that his very being ached, that would never quite leave his mind. He was always hungry, belly begging for more even when he ate thirds and fourths to his shame. Not that he was judged for it, in fact it seemed to break something in everyone whenever they witnessed him trying to limit his food intake. They spoiled him with food.  
They gave him a lot, as if trying to make up for what he lacked.  


As they all introduced thenselves and mentioned something about what type of flames they held, they turned to him. "Flames?" He asked to buy himself time to think. The purple fire had a name, Alexis called him drifter. Said he was part of a set, and belonged to the Iris. He had exploded at the perceived thought of ownership over him.  
But these people were already sneering at him.  
They didn't know him.   
They wouldn't get to know him.  
'You and I, we're showmen. Get that wrapped around that tiny little brain of yours Skeleton?' 'Why do you call me that?' 'You're nothing but a bag of bones! And you haven't shrunken away from this name. Now, as I said, we're showmen. We give the people what they want and when they come looking for more when we aren't ready they'll look for the one boasting to the heavens. They'll leave the quiet mice to play alone.' Misha winked at him with a twinkle in his blue eyes that not many ever saw.  
Skull liked to see this side of Misha. He absolutely loathed the Undying Devil persona though.  
Annoying, arrogant, womanizing, slob.  
But no one looked twice at Misha (quiet, timid, withdrawn) which was exactly what he wanted.  
  
"I am the immortal stuntman Skull-sama. Greatest Stuntman in the world. Hated by the grim reaper himself." He inwardly smiled behind his helmet at the stunned silence knowing he'd already won. They'd only know Skull, they never get to meet Skeleton. He would make sure of that.  
After all he was a showman and he gave them exactly what they wanted. A weak useless civilian who didn't know anything about anything.

They'd never know about the pretty warm Amber that used to call others towards him until it twisted and raged. He'd keep silent about the Amber breaking into pieces as experiment 618 turned her own Amber against him. How the purple took over everything to save him when the others all fell into chaos.  
They didn't deserve to know anything about him. His bones and the night sky would be the only ones who ever knew him.


	3. So Go On Do Your Worse, I Am Stronger Than You Think, I Believe You'll Never Get The Best Of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They believed him to be weak, looked down on him for it. Deliberately looked the other way when he was abused. Then had the gall to get angry when he didn't know something from their society, conviently forgetting he didn't know anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title: lyric from Stronger than you think- fireflight
> 
> Merry Christmas!!!

How did Drifters equal clouds? Why did these others sound so ignorant when they explained the types of fire to him. Typical arrogant others, so above everyone that they didn't realize their so called power wasn't so special.

Where he lived it was typical for most children to have the so called 'Flames of Death Perception.' it was rare that the fire didn't manifest but that was normal too, not everyone wanted the ability. They weren't loved anyless. They were cherished the same as those that had Amber flames. (Sanctuary they were called. Go to them if you were ever in danger and they'd protect you. And in return you'd find your place and protect them.)

Sky? Harmonization? How insulting.  
Guardians? Really?  
That was the best they could come up with? At least the English made sense.  
Knights.  
That was the term Joan had used to describe her relationship to her Sanctuary. She said Sanctuary was not a ruler as the term Knight suggested, no, their term for Sanctuary was Castle. The stronghold that welcomed Knights to defend her and accepted any and all Knights with wide open arms.  
Castle guarded them and sheltered them in turn.  
  
  
His crash course into the Mafia was not what he expected it to be. He wasn't taught the fundamentals, no one had the patience to teach the civilian. He didn't know their etiquette or protocols. They somehow assumed he'd know after their explanation of what flames were and their attributes.  
He was Ill prepared for the missions that were suddenly pushed on to him.  
Stealing? No big deal.  
Getting in and out of secure places unseen? Also not a problem.  
Killing? That was not a line that he would cross willingly ever again.  
And the more he spent time with the 'Sky' Luce, the more he began to feel trapped. The others began seeking Sanctuary in her, and she was welcoming them on top of her own 'elements'. She was also trying to get his attention but he had no need for this Sanctuary, he had many of his own that came close to it though. They were just not strong enough to hold him.  
  
He ignored the small voice that reminded him of Mama Svetlana's words. ('Wherever you used to live, I'm glad you escaped. They tore you to pieces. You can no longer be a Sanctuary, and you can no longer call a Sanctuary your own. Your ability is broken and turned inwards. That doesn't mean you are broken. You'll just have to stick to sharing pieces of your Sanctuary with others. And never let those other Sanctuary chain you down. It would break your ability to Drift.')  
  
  
Skeleton looked at his broken leg and scowled from underneath his helmet. What did having a broken leg have to do with slowing everyone down? He'd run with his neck broken and ribs puncturing his lungs. Did they think he was delicate? What did they think a stuntman did?  
  
  
He walked away to safety on his own and when it was time meet at the rendezvous point, they were surprised to see him. In fact the so called 'Greatest Hitman in the world' was incensed to see him.  
He didn't even have the decency to ask after his health and pointed a gun at him. He ripped into him with such disgust and anger. He peered at his partners and found that they agreed with the Hitman. How had he put anyone in danger? He had escaped unseen!  
Skeleton called upon his experiences with bratty stuck up children that visited his show and then reacted to the gun. He burst in loud noisy tears. He let them hear his terror as he wailed. He took great heaving breaths as he choked and inwardly seethed at the dismissal. If he had been truly traumatized but what he'd seen then they wouldn't have helped him. He was a civilian! If it wasn't for his past In that room he would have truly reacted in a similar manner to this.  


These others were the worst of the worst. Turning blind eyes to his abuse. He was done. Three missions and four meetings later, he was over this.  
"And just where do you think you're going?" Skeleton jumped backwards plastering his back against the wall at the seething miasma of ancient fury and pain wafting off the man? No, this was no mortal, this was a being ancient and powerful.  
He couldn't move.  
Didn't dare to even breathe.  
This being would slaughter him until he was nothing and wait until he healed to do it over and over again.  
His legs gave out from under him and he slowly slide to the ground as the being stalked closer to him. He grabbed his bag and upended it before tucking his bag back into the drawer. He crouched down before Skeleton and patted his cheek in a patronizing manner as a smile crawled onto his face. "You can't drift away just yet. If those others hadn't broken your Sanctuary I would have chosen you for this task. Instead you became a Drifter." The being stood up and vanished slowly as if the wind was wiping him off the plane of existence.

  
  
This being with the iron hat and checkered face. He was dangerous. But this ancient being had a purpose.

  
  
  
He never told anyone of his encounter. He knew he wouldn't be believed. This being was orchestrating their every moves and these world's strongest men and women didn't even know it. Couldn't see it through their swelled heads. Arrogance truly did blind people.  
He sent word to Hunter to keep close and stand by for anything, he was terrified.  
Just what was being planned behind their backs?  
  
  
  
  
  
"Skull!! Skull answer me!" That was Sebastian calling him. Why did he sound terrified?  
"Bullheaded Skull!!! You answer me this instant!" Roared Hunter as his Drifter rage flared into existence. Skeleton jumped to his feet wavering as his vision swam briefly. When the world stopped spinning he saw the man that had followed him was a child, as was Lal. And everyone else?  
He looked down at his hands and exploded into his own Drifter rage.  
He roared to the heavens his displeasure and was tackled to the ground by another Drifter. The clash of this Drifter's perception touching his own was like a bucket of ice cold water, his rage winked out of existence. He took deep heaving breaths trying to maintain his calm.


	4. They Don't Have To Understand You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They hadn't seen their cloud rage before. Then some man calling out for Skull on the fated day and Skull exploded, before just as quickly calming down. How had this weak civilian thought ahead when none of them had?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wouldn't Skull have become discordant at the realization that he can no longer be a stuntsman? To have his freedom stripped away by being stuck in the body of an infant?  
> I decided the Italians and Japanese are the only ones who call the dying will flames, flames. Other cultures have different names and classes for their ability.  
> The Throne class is Romanian and is as follows: Berserker, Archer, Assassin, Saber, Caster, Lancer, Ruler.  
> Cloud, Sun, Rain, Storm, Mist, Lightning, Sky.  
> The throne class is the types of servants from fate stay night.  
> 

Reborn glanced around in confusion as the light show died down. Everyone was laid flat on their backs with only the Lackey unconscious. Reborn frowned wondering what was off about this picture until he realized the Lackey was a child. He sat up blearily taking in his surroundings with horror. He sensed cloud, sun and rain flames heading towards their location and broke out into a cold sweat. With their currents states they'd be hard pressed to defend themselves from the approaching enemies. He couldn't even summon a meager flame to heal his aching body.

"Drifter, Island, Oasis." Reborn looked at the Lackey as he muttered under his breath while beginning to stir. "Skull!" Those flame users were calling for Skull? Why were they here? Had he been pretending to not know about flames and lead them to this trap?  
"SKULL?!?!" The cloud howled as everyone finally began sitting up. The idiot Lackey was the only one still not sitting up. "Skull! Skull answer me!" The cloud was building to a rage and Reborn wouldn't be able to defend anyone from it. Luce was defenseless here. He stumbled towards her just as the Lackey finally began to sit up.  
  
"Bullheaded Skull!!! You answer me this instant!" The cloud exploded into rage as he tore apart trees in the distance. Viper watched Skull jump to his feet and weave drunkenly back and forth as he tried to steady himself. Skull looked down at his hands then spontaneously erupted into a bright eye watering pillar of purple fire. His head dropped back to face the sky as he roared to the heavens. His howls echoing and reverberating through their chest as the very earth shook.  
Suddenly the raging inferno was snuffed out by another cloud slamming into their own and Viper tried to flare their mist flames to hide him but their flames were non-existent. Their cloud was going to die young before them and then they'd be next.  
  
Verde could feel the screams humming through his bones and adjusted his glasses. So Skull could rage like a cloud. He pulled out three syringes and wondered if the cloud flames would multiply the sedative once injected or be burned through by blood pumping quickly throughout the entire body.  
  
Fon had never witnessed Cloud rage, he'd heard stories and witnessed the aftermath. He almost wishes he'd never asked to see one. It was horrifying, that this teenager who didn't know the first thing about flames was about to go on a murderous rampage.  
  
Luce hadn't seen this. She couldn't see a lot when it came to Skull, and she'd tried. She wanted this cloud, his pure and strong flame was the brightest amongst this bunch. Yet she didn't even rate a first glance and all her attempts to bond were met with disinterest or apathy. Not even the others bullying him had him turning to her. He soldiered through the abuse and continued on.

Lal watched the weak civilian, that cried at a gun being placed to his head, rage like nothing she'd ever witnessed before. She broke out into a cold sweat at the sleeping dragon that had been hiding in their midst and wondered when that dragon would turn on them. Suddenly just as quickly as he raged, he was taken down by a weaker cloud, inferior in every way to their Cloud. Yet she couldn't sense any ill will, in fact this Cloud was shielding him in a cocoon of his own flames. Skull lay limply in his hold simply breathing.  
  
Colonello glanced at the teenger being wrapped in layers of cloud flames and felt the kinship they shared. A sun and rain dashed into the clearing looking like they'd been dragged through the bushes but they instantly brightened and hurried to the no longer raging cloud. "Bullheaded Skull do you have any idea how worried you made us?!" The sun yelled suddenly yanking the limp form away from the other cloud without a thought. Colonello braced for the explosion of cloud flames now that the other cloud was no longer stabilizing him but it didn't come. The younger cloud just curled into a ball and was bundled into the sun's jacket. "You there! Sanctuary! What have you done to our Drifter!" The rain accused aggressively blocking the others from sight as they spoke so quietly he couldn't hear them.  
  
  


Hunter was trying to take him away from Sebastian while Nartheliot interrogated the Sanctuary about her role in everything. Skeleton was exhausted, rage was exhausting. "At least you didn't bring the Throne Class with you." Skeleton didn't like the Romanian counterparts.  
They were staying together for safety as they were being hunted by crazy Italian scientists. And for some reason they all adored him. It was sweet, and yet he couldn't help but feel like a piece of meat when they eyed him the way they did.  


Only he could objectify himself thank you very much.  
Wait, that didn't sound right. "You're okay, you're okay now." Skeleton winced when his helmet was removed and half-heartedly whined as he extended a shaking limb out for his security blanket. Hunter hushed him as Sebastian put his palm against Skeleton's aching forehead. Oh, that felt nice. He was sleepy, and floaty like. "Of course this works. Your practically a living corpse right now." He growled and smacked Sebastian ignoring the stifled laughter from behind him. He was not changing his name again. "Don't pout precious one. I knew we should have brought back up." Nartheliot was petting his hair with that worried look in his eyes. Wasn't he just interrogating Luce?  
He could feel the brittle pieces of his Amber shifting angrily inside him. The amethyst was Sparks that couldn't light.  
Something was wrong.  
It felt wrong.  
He was wrong.  
He whined as his eyes began to burn against the pressure building inside. Sebastian's healing wasn't working. Not even Hunter's warmth surrounding him could stop the wrongness.  
He could not hear them even though they were inches away.  
  
  
"No good, he's doing really bad. He's breaking." Viper inhaled sharply at the sun's proclamation. Skull was becoming discordant right before their eyes. They couldn't feel their own flames but Skull's were warping and writhing angrily against the bonds against them all. "I'll ask you again Sanctuary. What. Did. You. Do. TO OUR DRIFTER?!?!?" The rain seethed as he sharply pulled away from Skull and the others. "You don't talk to a lady that way." Viper wishes Reborn had kept his mouth shut, anyone with eyes could see Luce of the Giglio Nero had set them up. And these guardians were defending one of their own.  
  
"Your Sanctuary is killing him!" The rain was nearly frothing at the mouth with rage while the sun and cloud behind him were worriedly trying to rouse Skull from his stupor. It wasn't working, and when Clouds became Discordant then Vindice got involved. Nothing could take down a feral cloud, not even their Sky. Skull was the strongest Cloud in the world, even trapped in this infant form. He had manifested his flames when none of them could. It was interesting to watch, Verde wanted to opened him up and see what made him tick.  
Fon decided he needed to mediate as no one else would. "Ni Hao. My name is Fon." Fon introduced himself holding his hands up and placing his fist against one palm in greeting. The Rain visibly calmed his self and returned the greeting with a look in his eyes that radiated hatred. "Very well then, Mediator Desert, you may call me Mediator Oasis." The rain visibly restrained himself when Skull whimpered as his flames began to twist even more. He reached a hand behind him laying his finger against Skull's temple to ease him of his sufferings. It shouldn't be working, Clouds became unstable with other flames introduced into their already fragile state of being.  
Yet for some reason it was helping instead of making things worse.  
And the terms he was using, Oasis, Drifter, Desert, Sanctuary and Mediator. What did he mean? Mediator, that was one he understood though.  
"Answer me this Mediator Desert, what did you do to our Drifter? Why is he a child?"

Lal and Colonello watched the sun and cloud layer their flames over Skull in an attempt to keep him comfortable and aware. Both of them had training in slowing down and subduing raging clouds but they had been taught to give discordant Clouds space. What these two were doing went against everything they were taught, and yet it was working.  
"It burns." Skull choked out suddenly as his flames began sputtering and spitting against the cocoon surrounding him. The other Cloud was remaining perfectly calm as he accepted the raging flames fighting him. "Another Cloud would have been set off by this. How is he staying so calm?" Lal asked finally having regained her equilibrium enough to stand on her own. Colonello shrugged helplessly as they were all powerless to stop the strongest Cloud in the world from becoming Discordant.


End file.
